Blennies to control algae

[basiab]

I have had an algae problem which until now was just hair algae and was controlable. A good brushing would get rid of it for a while. I got a coral a while ago and it had bryopsis and now I have bryopsis too and it is very hard to clean off the rocks. My tank is only 24 gallons so I am limited as to what I can put in it.
Based on what I have read the lawnmower blenny should be a good choice to help control it. Anyone have experience with them. Also the bi-color blenny is also supposed to eat Bryopsis and hair algae.

 

[cdamiano]

If it's Bryopsis, I don't think a blenny will eat it. It will probably eat hair algae. Bryopsis is evil.

 

[loneracer05]

i think its hit or miss with the lawnmower ive only seen 1 eat it. ive never seen a bicolor eat the stuff though. and im not to sure they would be able to eat it enough to eradicate it. but they are both very cool fish to have reguardless

 

[Fantom555]

MY bicolor is always grazing and picking algae off rocks, whenever a new piece is introduced that may have algae on it...he goes to work along with the hermits

 

[bogliman]

bro try seahare. i had a seahare a while back when i had an algae problem and he did a really good job of cleaning the tank. i'm actually getting another one from Will (vendor) since i'm getting that same problem that you have. i'm positive it will eat up all your algae and both of you will be happy.

 

[DREUTZ]

I have a bicolor and I got a frag that had hair algae on it. He never went near it. He does occasionally pick at the rocks, but it seems like he picks at my SPS and LPS more. He's killed several of my LPS (tractophylia, long tentacle plate, etc). He is definitely fun to watch but overall a lazy pain in the ____.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

i think its hit or miss with the lawnmower ive only seen 1 eat it. ive never seen a bicolor eat the stuff though. and im not to sure they would be able to eat it enough to eradicate it. but they are both very cool fish to have reguardless

+1 Have green hair
have a LMB
also have a sea hare- neither have touched it. Its always hit or miss- a yellow tang is going to be next and I will be also getting rid of the hare and a couple of mexican turbos that ALSO have not done a thing for the algae! lol One thing they do great is knock stuff over.

 

[pweissma]

I got an algae/lawnmower blenny several months ago to eat various types of algae I had growing. The blenny is active all over the tank but it never made a dent in any of the algae. That is my experience. Personality and diet vary quite a bit individual to individual and has a bit to do with the specifics of the environment. But if you have cyano don't expect anything to eat that, lol. My blenny eats macro algae from time to time but makes its diet from the stuff growing on the glass and has always been kinda thin. Yes, I've tried _______. ;-)
You gave some good info on your tank but didn't indicate it's age. Tanks generally go through stages of different types of algae growth in the first months so your algae problem may be more of a "stage" than a "problem". Be sure to have a good CUC and heed the standard advice about not overfeeding.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

not to hijack the thread but pweissma-- I have been able to keep my LMB not fat but from becoming real skinny by wrapping nori around my small mag float- he and my radiant wrasse both eat the heck out of it they really enjoy it, as soon as I take it out he(my LMB) gets ready and as soon as I put it back in wrapped in nori he swims to it immediately and then the wrasse follows to monge on it.

 

[afernandez]

IME scarletreef hermits and turbos get the job done and keep it clean

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I have hermits, I have turbos, I have an emerald, I have a sea hare, I have a LMB lots of people say each one of these are great problem solvers with green hair algae. Again I have to strongly agree with loneracer- its always hit or miss. All of these people have said how great they are at cleaning up algae yet none of them have done a darn thing in my 65- In fact I have 2 mexican turbos which is 1 more than I should and they have done nothing to help the situation.

LMB- MISS
turbos- MISS
emerald-MISS
sea hare-MISS
hermits- MISS


Whats a brotha gotta do to get a hit? lol.... Just wanted to state that hit or miss usually means a lot more misses befor you get a hit.
Hopin a yellow tang will be a hit. Been meanin to put one in the tank anyway maybe itll pay off in a bonus kind of a way and get fat off some algae.

 

[afernandez]

when i had it the methods i used to get rid of it
change sock filter every 3 days-
10% water changes every week-
pulled it out with hand/ tooth brush & took some out and hand brushed it and dip them in fresh water.
got 6 tubos/6 scarlet hermits/1 emerald
haven't had a problem since...again it worked for me..
a yellow tang can help but it might not eve touch it..so all i can say is good luck

 

[basiab]

when i had it the methods i used to get rid of it
change sock filter every 3 days-
10% water changes every week-
pulled it out with hand/ tooth brush & took some out and hand brushed it and dip them in fresh water.
got 6 tubos/6 scarlet hermits/1 emerald
haven't had a problem since...again it worked for me..
a yellow tang can help but it might not eve touch it..so all i can say is good luck

Sounds like it is the only sure way.

 

[basiab]

UPDATE
I tried afrnandaz's suggestions. I cleaned off the rocks where it was very bad. I cut the light down from 12 hours to ten and I doubled my water changes. It is not completely gone but what is there is small strings of it witout any big bunches. So for 3 weeks that looks like good progress.

 

[Imbarrie]

I agree, this is the only true method to rid the algae. It does take time though.